Actor Adnan Siddiqui and Sajal Aly had an argument regarding the rendition of the national anthem played sang in the recent Lux Style Awards 2022.
Singer Shehbaz Roy and Coke Studio’s famed singer, Abdul Wahab Bugti presented the national anthem in an innovative giving it a bit of folk and contemporary touch. The video of the performance was shared online.
Actor Adnan Siddiqui gave his two cents on his performance. The actor was not much impressed with the innovation of the national anthem and expressed his thoughts on social media. He questioned, “Is it appropriate to take creative liberties with our National Anthem, which was composed to instill in our patriotism and remind us of our nation’s glory? Does our Constitution permit anyone to improvise/remix the Tarana in the guise of creativity?”
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“It’s always played in the original rendition at matches, tournaments, and other state functions. At a famous award show, artists, however, fiddle with the National symbol and possibly get away with it too. Personally, I find ‘remix’ of the Tarana disrespectful,” said Adnan Siddiqui on Instagram.
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A majority of social media users do not agree with him. Some say that the representation of the national anthem by the marginal community of Pakistan is real inclusivity. Some posted that promoting the controversial ‘Joyland’ is much more problematic than creating a fuss over the remix of the national anthem.
Sajal Aly also responded to the criticism of Adnan Siddiqui. Taking to her Instagram she said, “Pakistan’s diversity makes it beautiful. A rendition of the national anthem that is inclusive of historically marginalized groups far more patriotic than imposing a rigid and unitary idea of how to show our love for the country and its people,” she said.
She further that people should ‘policing’ how people should express their patriotism. “Our constitution celebrates the many ethnicities, languages, and cultures in the country. When will we do the same?”
Adnan Siddiqui said that marginalized groups can express their love for the country without meddling with originality. He asked Sajal Aly to revisit her stance as she has missed his point. He said he did not target any ethnicity or culture. Siddiqui said that he disagrees with the over-enthusiasm with the national anthem as there are national protocols to be followed.
Sajal Aly again responded to him. She said she found the rendition the reflection of the diversity of Pakistan. According to her Shehzad Roy and Abdul Wahab Bugti broke no law.